Julius Okorie
Heads are on the verge of rolling in Ebonyi State after Governor Francis Nwifuru caught some civil servants red handed selling off government properties without authorisation.
The Governor who went on surprise visit to one of the offices discovered that the said civil servants working in the store of the health ministry were loading trucks of government properties, registers and other stationeries for sale on a Saturday having declared the said materials obsolete.
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A highly disappointed Governor Nwifuru described the act as shameful and regrettable especially at a time when his government has pumped so much money into the sector in less than two years, and also that some of the materials being illegally sold were indeed required at some of the primary health Centres.
While berating the culprits the governor asked “Do you think me as a governor has the right to sell? Do you know that it goes to the procurement Committee and that it is the procurement Committee that can grant approval for you to say this government property is unserviceable and will get auctioneers and even advertised?
Now we are talking about this, this daily antenatal register is here and at our primary health centres they are using exercise books to write. And you have an opportunity to be a civil servant and today is Saturday you are calling a buyer to buy them and this is immunisation register.
The governor continued I have seen this vehicle several times and I don’t know the spirit that told me today to stop and see what this people are doing, and this is what you are doing to government “he regretted.
The Governor revealed that he has pumped in over six billion naira into sector in the state and people are still shouting we need health facilities.”
There are strong indications that all those caught will lose their jobs even as government is on the verge of setting up a committee take stock of all government stores.
Governor Francis Nwifuru only few days back presented a budget proposal of Three Hundred and Ninety-Six Billion, Five Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty Naira (N396,589,009,620.00) for the 2025 fiscal year.
The budget, according to a statement signed by his Chief Secretary, Monday Uzor,is made up of five major sectors including Administration, Economic, Social, Regional, Law and Justice.
The Budget christened “Budget of Economic and Social Development” is designed to guarantee industrialisation, economic growth and improved standard of living.
Nwifuru who previously served as speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly is said to know the desires of the people and working hard to meet them.
It is yet to be known how the latest discovery of day light robbery by some civil servants will be tackled once and for all to ensure that the masses enjoy full dividend of democracy.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
